Elvis is in the building. Following Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 Academy Award-nominated film Elvis, starring Austin Butler, the King of Rock and Roll is back – this time in a new stage musical, Elvis: A Musical Revolution.

Authorised by Elvis Presley Enterprises (which manages the late singer’s assets and licensing deals), the musical features over 40 hit songs and a book by American writers Sean Cercone and David Abbinanti, which traces the pivotal moments in Presley’s groundbreaking, turbulent career.

Elvis: A Musical Revolution. Photo © Daniel Boud

The show begins with a silhouetted Elvis (Rob Mallett) readying himself to perform in his ’68 Comeback Special – his first TV appearance in over eight years. As the nerves kick in and doubts begin to consume him, a young Elvis appears and offers reassurance.

From there, it slips back to 1947 when Elvis was still a child, living in Memphis, Tennessee with his parents – the only white family in a disadvantaged Black suburb – where he fell in love with gospel music and the blues.

Throughout the show, the musical moves back and forth in time, as Elvis recalls scenes from his youth that helped...